Pneumatic-gun valve



(No Model.)

R. J. GATLING. PNEUMATIG GUN VALVE.

No. 434,662. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD'J. GATLING, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PNEUMATllC-GUN VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,662, dated August19, 1890.

Application filed Marel 10, 1890. Serial No. 343,235. v(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J. GATLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the coun ty of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements inValve-Operating Mechanism for Pneumatic Guns and Air-Conduits for Same,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic guns, the object being to provideimproved means for operating the air-valve for firing the gun and forconducting air to a gun of this class when mounted on a turn-table; andthe invention consists in the peculiar construction of the air-supplyconduit and of the air-valveoperating mechanism, all as hereinafterfully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a sideelevation, partly in section, of a pneumatic gun and its rotatingplatform having my improvements applied.

thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan View of said gun. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof certain detail parts of the gun, hereinafter fully described.

The gun construction per se, herein shown and described, and certainfiring devices therefor operating by a dropping gun-shield, all moreespecially adapted for use on ships, form the subject-matter of anapplication for a patent filed by me June 20,1889, Serial No. 314,959,and some of the details of the construction of said gun other than saidvalveoperating mechanism and airconduit are herein shown and brietlydescribed, in order that the operation ofthe same may be fullyunderstood.

In the drawings, A is the gun mounted upon a'suitable trunnion-frameconsisting of two metallic uprights B B, and the latterare fixed andsupported on a turn-table D, having suitable pivot and roller supports,as shown, above a suitable base, which is represented as placed on anearth-work on the coast.

It is understood that wherever said gun I may be located there will beprovided suitbreech-piece 3, cast, preferably, from steel or gun-metal,having acylindrical body 4, in which is screwed the breech-block 5 andin its opposite end the gun-tube G, and ahollow cylinder 7, extending atright angles to said cylindrical body fl, which, together with a solidmetal cylinder 8, (excepting a trans- Verse perforation a therethrough,)constitutes the rolling support for the breech of the gun in place ofthe trunnions usually provided therefor. The said hollow cylinder 7 hasan opening c through its lower side and a similar opening e through itsupper side, (said openings c and e being about midway between its ends,)which extends from the interior of the cylinder 7 through the side ofthe cylindrical body 4, communicating with the interior of the latter,and from the latter 'with the said gun-tube 6, which is screwed orotherwise secured thereto. The operative position of the said cylinder 8is within the cylinder 7, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and when so placedthe perforation a through it transversely registers or is in line withthe said openings c and e through the opposite sides of said cylinder 7,and on the opposite ends of the said cylinder 8 project two trunnions 9,which support, in connection with the said uprights B, of metallicconstruction, the breech portion of the gun, the said trunnions 9entering proper circular perforations in said uprights, as shown. rlhesaid cylinder 8 and hollow cylinder 7 are so fitted, the former withinthe latter, that the breech-piece 3 and the gun-tube connected therewithmay have a suitable free oscillating movement on said cylinder 8 toprovide for the requisite elevation and depression of the gun, the saidcylinder 8 being so fixed in the uprights B and by its connection withan air-conduit, as below described, that it is perfectly rigid and canhave no oscillating or rocking motion. A tube l2, for conductingcompressed air Athrough the said cylinder 8 and thence IOO being madesomewhat larger than the external diameter of the tube 12, in order topermit the cylinder 7 and the breech-piece of the gun to have thenecessary oscillating` motion on the cylinder 8; but this motion isnever suiiicient to materially interfere'with the area of theair-conducting passage e, above mentioned, through which air passes tothe interior of the said breech-piece.

Compressed air for discharging a projectile from the within-describedgun is conveyed from any suitable air-compressing mechanism through aconduit H into a cylindrical valvebox 15, said valve-box having on itsupper side a short conduit 16, communicating with said tube 12, having afiange-connection by one end, by means of suitable bolts, with said tube12, as shown. The vertical portion of said conduit H passes through thepivot-block of the turn-table D, and its extremity is fitted tightlyagainst the adjoining end of a short air-conduit under the valve-box 15,at K, Fig. 1, and hence there is maintained a free airpassage from theconduit H into the valvebox regardless of the position of the turn-ta-.ble and gun. The said valve-box 15 is provided with a valve 19, fixedon a stem 20, having bearings in the opposite ends of said box, the saidvalve being shown in a position in Fig. 1 which obstructs the passage ofcompressed air from said conduit H through the valve-box and the saidconduit 16 and tube 12 into the gun, said valve being held in thatposition prior to the discharge of the gun by a lever 21, pivotally hungto the end of said valve-box or other fixed point, and having one endengaging with a notch in said valvestem 20, as shown, whereby the valveis retained in the above-mentioned position. The said lever 21 has itsfree end extending preferably rearward, as shown, and said end may begrasped conveniently by an operator and swung downward, therebydisengaging the opposite end thereof from said valve-stem and leaving itand the valve free to slide by air-pressure and open a free passagebetween the conduit H and the interior of the breechpiece 3 by way ofthe conduits 12 and 16, thus bringing the force of air-pressure behindan explosive projectile z in the gun to discharge the same. Saidprojectile may be provided with any suitable percussion-fuse to causeits explosion upon striking an obj ect. The said gun, having theabove-described oscillatory motion on the fixed cylinder 8, may have itsmuzzle elevated or depressed by any suitable mechanism, one means forelevating the gun being shown in the drawings, which consists of a pumphaving a suitable connection with a cylinder n, the latter and the pumpbeing supplied with any suitable liquid, a piston y, having a movementin said cylinder n, induced by the movement of said liquid, and aconnection between the piston y and the gun, as shown, whereby themovements of said piston are imparted to the gun. Said pump is operatedby a hand-lever h or other suitable means.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. Means for discharging a pneumaticgun, consisting of a valve-box connected by an airconduit with said gun,a valve supported in said box, and a hand-lever holding said valve in aposition between the air inlet and outlet of said box, one end of whichlever may be grasped by an operator to disengage its opposite end andfree the valve, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. A pneumatic gun, a turn-table on which said gun is mounted, having acentral pivotal support, a valve-box between said table and gun, havinga fluid-connection with the breech of said gun, and an air-supply pipepassing through said pivotal support and conducting compressed air tosaid valve-box, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

RICHARD J. GATLING. Vitnesses:

K. E. BELLows, H. A. CHAPIN.

